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At the end of last month, Mercedes-Benz officials sent out an e-mail to employees alerting them to the birthday of the automobile. But there is a great deal of controversy as to the actual birthday of the car. The date varies, depending on your definition of the actual beginning of the industry.

Some people look to the year 1678 when a Flemish priest created a small steam car and demonstrated it for the Chinese Emperor. Others look to 1769 when Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot concocted the idea of the modern-day automobile. Still others tend to see 1789 as the year of the first automobile because that’s when Oliver Evans received a United States patent for a self-propelled vehicle.

You can even go back to the Middle Ages, when Mother Shipton, a prophesier of the day, wrote of “carriages without horses” and other concepts that could reflect today’s automobile. Some have even found images in the Old Testament that could describe the vehicle.

But the folks at Mercedes-Benz have a couple of dates in mind when they talk about celebrating the birthday of the automobile. January 1893 is one date, because that’s when Wilhelm Maybach developed the precursor to the current carburetor. January 19, 1903 is another historic day, marking when Benz & Cie tested the first four-cylinder engine in Mannheim.

So the next time you visit your local Mercedes-Benz dealer, you might not want to mention the birthday of the automobile. You might just get a lesson that you weren’t looking for in the first place.

Mercedes-Benz is planning a $5 million expansion project in Ann Arbor, with its site just a few miles away from the Detroit-area headquarters of the Big Three.  Currently, the German automaker has an emissions laboratory in the city that is also home to the main campus of the University of Michigan. But Mercedes-Benz wants to add product development capabilities to the laboratory and spend millions of dollars to expand it.

If the plans go through, the Ann Arbor facility will be only the second Mercedes lab of its kind in the United States. The other plant is in Long Beach. The company would send four engineers from its main headquarters in Germany to the new lab to get things started.

Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal, the expansion plans are just one more signal that southeastern Michigan is slowly becoming one of the more popular places for research and design in the entire nation. With manufacturing work quickly leaving the area and thousands of jobs on the line, switching the focus to R&D could be one thing that boosts the slumping economy in the area.

The expansion would entail nearly quadrupling the space at 3953 Research Park Drive in Ann Arbor from 6,663 to 27,484 square feet. The added space would make room for both offices and stored vehicles. MB chose the site because of its proximity to the Environmental Protection Agency’s testing lab.

James Gartin, Managing Director of Business Development, had this to say about the plans scheduled to be implemented later this year: “It’s exciting to see some new activity at Research Park, and we’re very excited about Mercedes’ continued commitment to the market.”

With these plans and others in the works, you’re likely to see exciting changes when you visit your local Mercedes-Benz dealer. Stop in today and see what the automaker has been working on lately.

If you’re a Mercedes-Benz customer in the Australian market, your young drivers have access to the company’s new training program.

As an extension of the already existing Active Safety Experience, Mercedes-Benz Australia is now offering First Gear, a program for drivers 24 years of age and younger. The new program is free for MB customers and children of customers.

The program’s focus is safety. According to Horst Von Sanden, Managing Director for MB Cars Australia,  the German automaker has one of the richest histories in safety development among the other major car companies. But he also emphasized the driver’s responsibility for being safe on the roads. That’s why Mercedes-Benz continues to offer and improve its driving programs for young drivers.

The main purpose of First Gear is to introduce many of the driving fundamentals to young drivers, with a focus on safe attitudes and awareness. Some of the main aspects of the course include:

• Identifying risks and avoiding dangerous situations
• Understanding how a car operates
• Maintaining proper vehicle spacing
• Identifying dangerous attitudes while driving

Those participating in the course learn other practical lessons about vehicle safety, including:

• Vehicle maintenance
• Correct steering when driving
• Dangers of tailgating
• Braking differences between wet and dry surfaces

The program puts the participants in real-life simulations so they can practice their safety skills without putting themselves or anybody else in danger.

Although this is only offered in the Australian market, you can stop in at your local Mercedes-Benz dealer and get the latest information about how the automaker strives to keep you safe.

In an effort to promote and sell more C-Class and M-Class models in the United States, Mercedes-Benz is planning a $100 million advertising campaign. Sales for these two models have been less than impressive in the United States, and the company hopes to change that.

One strategy for the new campaign is to create nationwide ads instead of local ones. This will allow the marketing department to create more compelling ads, as they need only focus on one large campaign instead of several smaller ones.

Mercedes-Benz’s advertising dollars in the United States used to be allocated to local ads based on the sales volume from each area’s dealerships. That meant splitting up the dollars between 169 individual markets. To me, splitting it up like that just doesn’t sound cost-effective at all.

In addition to the TV ads, though, I think Mercedes-Benz should put a huge chunk of its advertising dollars into online advertising. I know the company already does this, but I would put more focus on Internet ads than I would on TV ads. More and more people are turning to the Internet to get their news, information and everything else. Advertising online also allows the company to tailor its campaigns to whichever demographic  it is trying to reach. But, of course, that’s why I’m not the head of Mercedes-Benz’s marketing department. I’m sure the company’s pros know what they’re doing.

Whether you see one of the automaker’s new ads or not, your local Mercedes-Benz dealer is a great place to get a quality luxury vehicle. See a representative today and find out why so many others have purchased a Benz.

DaimlerChrysler India has been planning on changing its name for quite some time now. Last week, the Registrar of Companies finally granted approval to the company to change the name of the Indian branch. Its new name is this:

Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd.

But it’s not only a different name that this change signifies. The renaming of the Indian branch reflects the manufacturer’s disposal of more than 80 percent of its stake in the Chrysler Holding, LLC. It also furthers the separation the Daimler is trying to create between its corporate name and its various brands.

Daimler consistently presents itself as the parent company when the focus is on the entire group of vehicles. But when it comes to dealing with customers with a focus on a particular name, Daimler allows the corresponding brand to deal with the issues.

That’s one of the main reasons for renaming the Indian operations. Because Mercedes-Benz is the overriding brand in the region, Daimler felt it would be more effective to christen it with the MB name. Officials say this will strengthen the brand name in the local markets, too. And as the automaker has nearly 30 sales and after-sales service network stations across the nation, it’s vital to do everything possible to increase the success of its name and the models it releases.

Domestically, you can still find a variety of models at your local Mercedes-Benz dealer available for purchase today. With the recent advancements in safety and technology, there’s no better time to get behind the wheel of one of these great luxury vehicles.

In the final installment of this week’s discussion of the companies being eyed by Mercedes-Benz, we’ll discuss the rumor that the German automaker is planning on buying the McLaren racing team and engineering brand.

Daimler already owns 40 percent of the McLaren name. And although some sources say that the deal has already been made, Mercedes-Benz officials haven’t commented on any of the details or even confirmed that they plan on making a deal.

Even though Daimler owns 40 percent of McLaren, the other 60 percent belongs to several different investors, including:
• Ron Dennis: 15 percent
• Mansour Ojjeh (Dennis’s Saudi business partner): 15 percent
• Mumtalakat (Bahraini holding company): 10 percent

That means if Daimler wanted to take control of McLaren, it would need either to buy out one of the other shareholders to acquire a majority of the shares or to negotiate with them.

However, these buyout rumors have been swirling around for a couple years. Daimler hasn’t really made any major moves to confirm or deny the rumors, either. The companies work closely together, and even two years ago there was speculation that the deal was already finalized.

Currently, McLaren produces the SLR supercar for Mercedes-Benz. It is also working on a spinoff vehicle called the P11. McLaren also produces Formula One cars for Mercedes.

If you visit your local Benz dealer, you might see the McLaren influence on some of the more performance-focused vehicles.  Check ‘em out today!

The Quinn Cement Company in Northern Ireland struck a deal recently with Mercedes-Benz. You’re probably wondering what a German luxury automaker has in common with a cement company. But the Mercedes-Benz Truck and Van Department has been pumping out large trucks for several years. Quinn’s partnership with the automaker simply increased its existing truck market.

Hauling cement is a tough business for trucks. As such, it often puts so much stress on an engine that even the largest trucks are only good for a few years of service. Quinn has ordered several Mercedes Axor models to replace some of the older trucks in its fleet. But the MB trucks are also working in other aspects of the company, including the packaging department. This particular division is one of Quinn’s diversifications and offers a service that delivers bulk packaging materials to clients all over Ireland.
The Quinn Group isn’t just cemented in the concrete business, though. Quinn’s interests cover a broad range of industries, including property management, financial services and manufacturing. The company is also a leader in glass container production in the UK, as well as one of the largest providers of building insulation products in the region. Moreover, it’s one of the largest companies in Europe that supplies heating radiators and domestic plastics for consumers.

Quinn first bought Mercedes trucks in 2003. The next year, it bought 15 more units. But this latest order increased Mercedes-Benz’s share of the company’s fleet even further. Because of Quinn’s satisfaction with the vehicles it gets from MB, the partnership will likely continue for many years to come.

Mercedes-Benz USA just put the final signatures on a contract with Callbright, the leading company in call management solutions in the nation. The new contract allows for a multiyear partnership between the two companies. This means that every MB dealer in the country will have access to the Callbright technology. Here are just a few things that Callbright offers to its customers and their clients:

• Documents the important details of customer service calls
• Tracks outbound calls
• Finds customer demographics and target audiences for better advertising
• Creates instant records of each customer’s call history
• Monitors employees by using recorded calls
• Helps train employees
• Reaches large audiences with pre-recorded messages
• Connects with online customers by using “clickable numbers”

With the new partnership, each dealer has access to every bit of information from every phone call that comes in or goes out from the facility. That enables the sales staff to tailor their messages and efforts more precisely.

Both companies are excited about the new partnership. Jim Wright, the Vice President of Sales for Callbright, had this to say: “Callbright is very excited to partner with a first-class organization the caliber of Mercedes-Benz USA.”

This is just another way that MBUSA strives to make its customer service as great as possible.  The next time you talk to your local Mercedes-Benz dealer over the phone, you might be surprised how much information he or she has about your previous conversations to help you enjoy even better service.

In one of the latest collaborations in the German auto industry, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are discussing a collaboration to take on the Audi powerhouse. The two luxury automakers are planning on putting their engineering minds together for one purpose: to unite against their fiercest competitors.

So far, the two companies are working together with General Motors on some hybrid vehicles. But BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer and MB’s Dieter Zetsche want to increase their collaboration’s scope to include several more projects.

One analyst, Georg Kacher, has some ideas about what the two companies will strive to achieve. He lays out five areas where the collaborative efforts would benefit the two companies the most.

1. BMW-MB Joint Products
BMW needs help for the Mini, and Mercedes has been looking for a partner for its A- and B-Class models. Together, they can increase their volume and share their ideas to create better products in these categories.

2. New Brands for Both Companies
Mercedes could use some ideas on its newest Smart forTwo model to make it more appealing to a larger audience. The two companies could work together on this as well as other models that combine the best from both worlds.

3. Better Engines
Sharing their respective ideas and technologies about new and improved engines would undoubtedly benefit both automakers. The market is increasingly looking for more eco-friendly engines that don’t sacrifice power. BMW and MB could have an impressive hold on this market if they work together.

4. Sharing Other Technologies
By streamlining ideas and technologies, both companies can save a great deal of money on development and research. For instance, both companies have the same solution for “greener” engines: the Bluetec (MB) and the AdBlu (BMW). They just call them by different names.

5. Sharing Modules
Modules include parts like the transmission, suspension, driver assistance system and many other elements of the vehicle. By sharing ideas and technologies concerning modules, the collaboration could create even more exciting gadgets for future models.

Of course, the main goal remains the same: to survive in a market where Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche are dominant forces to be reckoned with. But who knows? You might see some BMW influences on some of the newer models when you visit your local Mercedes-Benz dealer in the months to come. Check one out today and see what the automaker has been working on lately.

This week, we’re going to take a look at some of the recent collaborations and connections in which Mercedes-Benz is or is rumored to be involved.   Today, there are some stories that the German automaker is collaborating with Aston Martin, the famed UK brand that has become a household name because of its appearance in James Bond movies.

According to PetrolHead.com, the two powerhouses in the industry are discussing efforts to create new engines and new models for the luxury niche of the auto market. How exciting is that?

But there’s more!

These two recognized names are not only collaborating but also talking with two of the most prominent forces in the fashion industry: Louis Vuitton and Gucci. The business development manager of Aston Martin, Adham Charanoglu, expects the new partnership to triple the company’s sales in just one year. The British automaker also plans to increase its vehicle production from 7,000 vehicles to 8,000.

With these collaboration efforts, Aston Martin stands to become a major contender in the auto industry in several emerging markets throughout the world. The company wants to concentrate on selling more vehicles in China and Russia, but it also wants to increase its presence in the Middle East, where luxury vehicles are becoming more popular every day. China recently opened its first Aston Martin dealership, and it has enjoyed a great deal of success. Russia’s lone Aston Martin dealership has also been well received.

So the next time you stop in to see your local Mercedes-Benz dealer, you might see some Aston Martin designs or influences surrounding you. Don’t be taken aback, though. It’s just one of the company’s latest plans to improve its technology and consumer appeal.